Texas Rangering

Comanche Moon –
Larry McMurtry

Reviewed by Robin Huskey
Owner-operator
Baker Packing Trucking

Listening Time: 24 hours
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Retail: $49.95
Genre: Western

Plot: This is my best book of the year. A sequel to Dead Man’s Walk and a prequel to Lonesome Dove, it is the answer to all our questions about Lonesome Dove and all the boys – Augustus McCrae, Woodrow Call, Pea Eye, Deets and Jake. This book takes place before Lonesome Dove when they were all Texas Rangers. We find out who Blue Duck is and where he came from, how the boys end up in Lonesome Dove and where it got its name. It covers 20 years of rangering, living, loving and losses.

What was your favorite moment/scene in the book? There are two – when Clara leaves Gus to marry another. She doesn’t want to but knows it’s for the best. And when Call becomes jealous of Jake and Maggie.

Which character was your favorite? Why? Augustus McCrae because it seems he has the right outlook on life and lives it to the fullest. Clara Forsythe because she is so strong and knows her own mind.

Did the book have a message or a theme that stood out to you? Always stand by your friends, and they will get you through anything life hands you – good or bad.

What did you like about the book? Dislike? The whole thing was great. I enjoyed the adventure the boys have and the scrapes they get into and out of. And meeting everyone from Indians to the saloonkeepers.

Would you recommend?: Yes, to everyone. This is the best book Larry McMurtry has written. If you buy one this year, make it this one.

Narrator’s style: Frank Muller is a wonderful narrator. He makes each character come alive, and everyone is different from everyone else.

How would you grade the book? A+


The Dante Club –
Matthew Pearl

Reviewed by Lois Kessler
Company Driver
Danny Herman Trucking

Listening Time: 6 hours
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Retail: $26
Genre: Mystery

Plot: In 1865 the Civil War has ended, and Boston is faced with a murder, something almost unheard of at the time. At the same time, members of the Dante Club – poets and Harvard professors – are translating Dante’s Inferno. The Dante Club’s work is opposed by many. When a second murder occurs, the club realizes the murders are modeled on scenes from Dante’s Inferno. The club joins forces with the first black Boston police officer to solve the crimes before the finger of guilt is pointed in their direction.

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

What did you like about the book? Dislike? I did not care for this book. I never connected with any of the characters. What sounded like an exciting mystery was very boring. The dialogue was not believable.

Would you recommend?: No.

Narrator’s style: The style of the book and the narrator Boyd Gaines was almost snobbish.

How would you grade the book? F


Notables

Drivers, here is your chance to review the latest audiobooks. Tell our readers what you like or dislike about the plot and characters, and why you would recommend it to other drivers. Below is one of the audiobooks available in the Truckers News audiobook library. Contact Kristin Walters at (800) 633-5953, ext. 1204, or via e-mail at [email protected] to reserve an audiobook. It will be sent to you free of charge for your review. Audiobooks are available on a first-call, first-served basis.

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life –
by Walter Isaacson

In this vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover how Benjamin Franklin defines both his own time and ours.

The most interesting thing Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself. America’s first great publicist, he carefully crafted his own persona, portrayed it in public and polished it for posterity. His guiding principle was a “dislike for everything that tended to debase the spirit of the common people.” Few of his fellow founders felt this comfortable with democracy and none understood it so intuitively.

Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, from his days as a runaway printer to his triumphs as a statesman, scientist and founding father. He chronicles Franklin’s tumultuous relationship with his illegitimate son and grandson, his practical marriage and his flirtations with the ladies of Paris. He also shows how Franklin helped to create the American character and why he has a particular resonance in the 21st century.

7 hours
Retail: $26
Simon & Schuster Audio

Audiobook Sources
Audiobooks may be purchased or rented from the following sources:
AUDIO ADVENTURES, (800) 551-6692, for 14-day rental of most major titles.
BOOKS NOW, (800) 266-5766, for purchase.
Simon & Schuster Audio, (800) 323-7445, for purchase.

The Business Manual for Owner-Operators
Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2022 edition of Partners in Business.
Download
Partners in Business Issue Cover